Twitter is one of the most powerful social media networks available today. Rather than being seen as a platform to update your friends about what you had for breakfast–as it was seen during its early days–Twitter today is a powerful channel for communication and information. It can also be a channel for misinformation, a consequence played out in the frenzied search for those responsible for the tragic Boston Marathon bombings.

I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say that Twitter has changed the world. It has changed media and the way we engage with media. Tweets can carry impact. Individuals, journalists, celebrities, brands, businesses have–or are starting to–realize this.

Consequently, new tools have also sprung up to measure the impact and reach of tweets. Below are a list of free Twitter tools designed to provide analytics that help to determine the what, when, and how of Tweeting to get maximum reach and engagement.

Twitalyzer

Twitalyzer calls itself the “one stop shop” for Twitter analytics. To use the tool, all you have to do is enter the Twitter handle you want to analyze. From there, you’ll be directed to a dashboard with information about that Twitter account’s Impact, Klout Score, and Number of Followers. The dashboard also provides information about the topics, hashtags, and top influencers related to that Twitter account. The paid version of Twitalyzer offers even more reporting, though the free version provides a decent, general overview which can be used to get an understanding of your influence on Twitter and that of any like-minded or competitor accounts you want to analyze.

TweetLevel

TweetLevel is another tool that calculates your influence on Twitter. You can search either by Twitter ID or Topic/Hashtag/Link. If you’re searching by Twitter ID, TweetLevel will show data for Influence, Popularity, Engagement, and Trust.

Influence is divided into “Viewer” (those who don’t have a strong Twitter footprint); “Commentators” (those who have little influence and whose comments don’t make much of an impact in the Twitterverse); “Curators” (those who have a smaller audience but whose activity is often influential among its group); “Amplifiers” (those with a large following and influence); and “Idea Starters” (those who spark conversations, though they may not necessarily have large followings).

If you search by topic, hashtag, or link, TweetLevel will surface data for Level of Buzz, Top Users by Share of Voice, and Top Shared Web Links. You’ll also get a Related Phrases Cloud and a list of the top 100 relevant users by relevance.

TweetReach

TweetReach analyzes Tweets about a hashtag, URL, or brand to help you better determine the reach and exposure of your Twitter activity. As such, it’s a great tool to measure the performance of your Twitter campaigns, giving you information about the topics that are generating buzz; the size about your potential and captured audience; the engagement level of your audience; and the influencers who are driving the conversation and engagement.

TweetReach is a free tool with features that include reporting. But, there is also a paid version (starting at $84 a month) that gives users much more robust functionality in the depth and breadth of analysis.

Twitter Grader

Last (but not least) on our list of free Twitter tools is Twitter Grader, which is sponsored by Hubspot and measures how influential you are on Twitter. Once you enter your Twitter username, you’ll be given a grade (out of 100) that quantifies your influence. You’ll get your rank, number of followers, number you are following, and number of updates (i.e. Tweets).

You’ll also get a summary of your Twitter account (name, bio, location, etc.), follower history, a follower check to see who is or isn’t following you, and a Tweet cloud. The tool in general is quite basic, especially compared to the other ones on this list, but it does provide a succinct snapshot of your Twitter account.

What are some free Twitter tools that you use? Share your suggestions in the comments section!

Style Techie Note: It appears that Twitter has opened up its analytics platform, making it available to everyone–not just people currently advertising on the social network. To access it, go to https://ads.twitter.com and log in. At the top header, you’ll see an “Analytics” button. Currently, you can see data for your Timeline Activity, including the number of Faves, Retweets, Replies, and clicks your tweets have generated.